Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans & Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture explores a powerful yet often overlooked legacy. Produced by the Louisiana Architecture Foundation (LAF), this documentary traces 300 years of building traditions brought by enslaved Africans to French colonial Louisiana—crafts like carpentry, masonry, ironwork, and plastering that shaped the region’s iconic architecture. Passed down through generations, these trades empowered Louisiana’s Creoles of Color, offering wealth and social mobility in a time of widespread racial inequality.

The film connects the past to the present through master craftsmen Jeff Poree, Darryl Reeves, and the late Teddy Pierre, who are working to preserve these endangered traditions and mentor the next generation. Ancestral Artistry is both a celebration and a call to action—to honor this heritage before it fades.

Following the one-hour film there will time for questions and answers with members of the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild, including Jonn Hankins, Founder/Executive Director NOMCG; Jeff Poree, Master Plasterer; Darryl Reeves, Master Blacksmith; and Karina Roca, 5-year Blacksmith Apprentice.

This screening is made possible thanks to a partnership with the Louisiana Architecture Foundation, the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild, and the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve.
This film was made possible by grants and generous donors. The LAF reserves special thanks to the film’s initial donors and partners, AIA Louisiana and the Louisiana State Office of Cultural Development | Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

The program is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open approximately 5 minutes before the program start time.

For more information visit our website at www.nps.gov/jazz